No Man’s Sky Crossplay: Connect with Friends Across All Platforms (Complete Setup Guide)

Want to explore the No Man’s Sky galaxy alongside friends on PlayStation, Xbox, PC, or Nintendo Switch? No Man’s Sky features full crossplay by default—here’s exactly how to set it up and join your friends’ sessions in minutes.

What is No Man’s Sky Crossplay?

No Man’s Sky offers complete cross-platform multiplayer, allowing players on PC (Steam and Game Pass), PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch to explore the universe together seamlessly.

Unlike some games requiring special toggles or invitations, No Man’s Sky unifies all players through a single Hello Games account system and Friend Codes. When you create a Hello Games account and link your gaming platform to it, crossplay becomes active automatically. You’ll exchange unique 12-character Friend Codes with other players—rather than searching by username or account names—to connect and play together.

The system treats all platforms equally. Your friend on Switch can join your PlayStation session, or you can explore with someone playing on Steam. No restrictions exist between platform types, and once you’re friends, you can team up whenever you’re both online.

Current as of: No Man’s Sky Endurance update (May 2024)

Why Use This Feature?

• Play Together Regardless of Platform: Stop being limited to friends with the same gaming device. Invite anyone, regardless of whether they use PlayStation, Xbox, PC, or Switch.

• Shared Discovery and Exploration: Build shared bases, hunt for rare resources together, and document discoveries collaboratively. Progress made by your friend counts for your shared game session.

• Access to Planetary Communities: Join civilisations and factions across all platforms. You’ll encounter players worldwide and participate in community events organised by other players and Hello Games.

• Simplified Friend Management: Instead of remembering usernames across different platforms, Friend Codes keep things straightforward. Copy, paste, and connect—no platform switching required.

Things to Consider

• You Need a Hello Games Account: This is mandatory and separate from your platform account (PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, Steam, or Nintendo Switch Online). Fortunately, creating one is free and takes under 2 minutes.

• Multiplayer Must Be Enabled: Your game requires an active internet connection and Multiplayer mode turned on in network settings. Private Ethernet or stable Wi-Fi both work fine, but poor connections may cause lag or disconnections.

• NAT Type Affects Connection Quality: Open NAT provides the smoothest experience, while moderate or strict NAT may cause occasional lag or difficulty joining sessions. You can check your NAT type in your console or router settings.

How to Enable Crossplay and Connect with Friends — Step by Step

Step 1: Create or Sign Into Your Hello Games Account

Visit the official No Man’s Sky website (nomanssky.com) or launch the game and navigate to Account Settings. If you don’t have a Hello Games account:

• Select ‘Create Account’
• Enter your email address
• Create a secure password (use a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols)
• Verify your email when prompted

If you already have an account, simply sign in with your email and password. This single account works across all platforms—you don’t need separate accounts for each device.

Screenshot placeholder: Hello Games account login page showing email field, password field, and ‘Sign In’ and ‘Create Account’ buttons

Step 2: Link Your Gaming Platform to Your Hello Games Account

In-game, navigate to Settings > Account and select your specific platform from the list:

• PlayStation Network (PS4/PS5)
• Xbox Live (Xbox One/Series X|S)
• Steam (PC)
• Nintendo Switch Online

Follow the authentication prompts. Your console or PC will briefly ask you to confirm permission to link the accounts. Once linked, your progress syncs with your Hello Games account.

Screenshot placeholder: Settings menu showing Account option highlighted, then second screen showing platform selection (PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, Steam, Nintendo Switch Online) with ‘Link’ button

Step 3: Enable Multiplayer Mode in Game Settings

Still in Settings, navigate to Settings > Network. Toggle ‘Multiplayer’ to ON.

You’ll also see an option for ‘Join Random Civilisations’:

• Set to ON if you want to discover and join player-created communities
• Set to OFF if you prefer playing privately with invited friends only

Confirm these settings by selecting ‘Apply’ or ‘Save’ before exiting the menu. Multiplayer is now active.

Screenshot placeholder: Network settings screen showing ‘Multiplayer’ toggle in ON position (green/blue), and ‘Join Random Civilisations’ toggle below it

Step 4: Find and Copy Your Unique Friend Code

Access the Friends menu—usually accessible from your main HUD or by pressing a designated button (varies by platform: often L1/LB on consoles, or a menu key on PC).

Select ‘My Friend Code’ or ‘Profile’. You’ll see your 12-character alphanumeric code displayed prominently (for example: A1B2C3D4E5F6).

Copy this code to your clipboard or write it down. You can also view this code on the official No Man’s Sky website by signing into your Hello Games account under your profile settings.

Screenshot placeholder: Friends menu showing ‘My Friend Code’ option selected, displaying a 12-character code in large text with a ‘Copy’ button

Step 5: Share Your Friend Code and Collect Your Friends’ Codes

Share your Friend Code with your friends using your preferred communication method:

• Discord
• Text message or WhatsApp
• Email
• Shared document or group chat

Ask them to provide their Friend Codes in return. Keep all codes together in a shared document or group chat for easy reference during the next steps—you’ll need them to add each friend in-game.

Screenshot placeholder: Example of a shared Discord message or Google Doc showing multiple Friend Codes listed (names paired with codes like “Alex: A1B2C3D4E5F6”, “Jordan: G7H8I9J0K1L2”)

Step 6: Add Friends in-Game Using Their Friend Codes

Open the Friends menu again and select ‘Add Friend’ or ‘+’ button. You’ll see a text entry field for a Friend Code.

Paste or carefully type your friend’s 12-character Friend Code exactly as they provided it (codes are case-insensitive but copying prevents errors). Select ‘Search’ or press Enter.

The game will query the Hello Games database and display your friend’s profile, including their in-game name and current location. Select ‘Send Friend Request’ to confirm.

Your friend will receive a friend request notification the next time they log into the game. They must accept it to complete the connection.

Screenshot placeholder: Friends menu showing ‘Add Friend’ screen with a text input field for Friend Code, and below it a search result showing a player’s profile with name, platform icon, and ‘Send Friend Request’ button

Step 7: Verify Friend Acceptance and Test Your Connection

Once both players have accepted the friend request, check your Friends list. Your friend should appear with an online/offline status indicator:

• Green ‘Online’ badge = Friend is currently in-game
• Grey ‘Offline’ badge = Friend is not currently playing

To test the connection, invite your friend to your current session or ask them to invite you to theirs. Open their profile in your Friends list and select ‘Join Session’ (if they’re online) or ‘Invite to Session’ (to send an invitation).

If the invitation succeeds, you’ll see each other in-game. If it fails, proceed to Step 8.

Screenshot placeholder: Friends list showing multiple friends with online/offline status badges, one friend highlighted with ‘Join Session’ and ‘Invite to Session’ options visible

Step 8: Troubleshoot Connection Issues (If Needed)

If your friend doesn’t appear online or you can’t join their session, try these steps in order:

1. Verify Multiplayer is Enabled: Both players must have Multiplayer toggled ON in Settings > Network. Double-check this together.

2. Confirm Both Accounts Are Linked: In Settings > Account, verify that both players’ platform accounts are properly linked to their Hello Games accounts. Mismatched accounts prevent connections.

3. Restart the Game: Close the application completely (don’t just return to the menu) and restart it. This refreshes your connection to Hello Games servers.

4. Check Your Network Connection: Verify both players have stable internet. Open NAT type is ideal, but moderate NAT usually works. Check your NAT type in your console’s network settings or router admin panel.

5. Ensure Peer-to-Peer Connections Are Allowed: Console players should verify their firewall or network settings permit peer-to-peer connections. If you’re behind a strict corporate or school network, multiplayer may be blocked.

6. Wait 5-10 Minutes: Sometimes the Hello Games server takes time to sync your friend status across platforms. If they just became your friend, wait briefly before trying again.

Screenshot placeholder: Network settings screen showing NAT type (Open/Moderate/Strict), with a separate troubleshooting checklist showing: Multiplayer enabled ✓, Platform account linked ✓, Game restarted ✓, Internet stable ✓

No Man’s Sky crossplay connects friends across every platform—a straightforward process once you’ve linked your Hello Games account and exchanged Friend Codes. Whether you’re exploring with a friend on Switch while you play on PlayStation, or coordinating a galaxy-wide base project, these steps take fewer than 5 minutes to set up. Now invite your friends and start building your shared empire across the stars.